Art on Art on Art

Filming starts (and finishes) tomorrow and I am very excited!! In gathering up all my props this week one of the first things I started working on was getting a sketch book that is full of drawings and pictures; some pencil, some color. If Eevie Davis is going to be a smart, mature, legitimate artist she needs to have a portfolio more impressive than just stick figures, which is about what I or Isa would be able to provide. Luckily, my brother is a very talented artist and although he is away at school, he does have a great sketch book in his room that he left behind that would be great for me to use. And like I had said in my last post, I know an amazing group of talented people so I also reached out to a friend of mine, Britney Lyons, who I know is a great artist. She kindly agreed to let me borrow one of her sketch books for my film opening. Her pictures are all beautiful but there is one in particular that I want to appear in my film that I think will be perfect.

This drawing is of course a more dream-like and idealistic version of where I will be filming, but that is why I love it. If Eevie is in a forest and she is creating art inspired by her environment this forest scene makes perfect sense, and I love the colors in the picture because I think it is just like something Eevie would create as she is longing for a simpler and genuinely happier world. So, I just wanna say thanks Britney!!

Everything is finally coming together and within the next couple days, my film opening will be done... Wow! I absolutely cannot wait for all of my ideas to become a reality. Updates to come.

Looking Towards the Future

I know I know, I haven't even filmed yet (two days!!!) but with the project due date QUICKLY. approaching I can't help but start thinking of my creative critical reflection. Obviously a lot of this reflection will be based on the actual outcome of my film, concerning technical choices and the actual production process, but a lot of the reflection will also be based off of the development of my project, story and character development, etc.

Time is precious. And although I will have a week to complete my reflection, if everything goes as planned, I didn't want to waste any time given to me so I decided to get ahead. I've started drafting some of the answers to the suggested questions by Cambridge for the creative and critical reflection and have begun planning what I want to say and talk about. I plan on doing my reflection through a director commentary so based off of the visuals that I will use as I am speaking, the current script I am drafting is obviously very very subject to change, but it's a start in flow of ideas and a little planning never killed anyone.

Im excited for the creative and critical reflection, I love that it gives me a chance to explain myself and justify my ideas and choices. I can't wait for all my readers and graders to get a clear look inside my head.

Just Call Me Telsey & Co.

Meet the face of Blank Canvas! I have officially cast my film and present to you one of my best friends Isa Jimenez who graciously agreed to play Eevie Davis in my short film opening. 

Isa (right) and I (left) in Boston last December

 I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned it on this blog, but I've been doing theatre and performing in plays and shows since I was in the third grade, so growing up in that world I have met a lot of talented people and have many talented friends that I considered asking to be in my film. I ultimately ended up deciding on Isa because although she doesn't do theatre anymore, she used to, so she has experience acting and I have confidence in her that she would do a good job. She's outgoing, hard working, takes direction well, and since I've known her for so long I trust her and will feel good and comfortable working with her. Also, with everyone's busy high school schedule, she happened to be available, so it worked out perfectly. I wanted to start filming after school some days but since I'm only filming in one location and it is outdoors I thought I should just film everything on the same day in order to ensure a constant lighting and make sure that I will be able to finish in one day, and filming after school, I just don't think we would have the time so I am going to be filming Saturday and also beginning to edit Saturday. I am slightly concerned because it has been pretty rainy this week but I checked the weather channel and the weather should be clear for this weekend, but just in case I'm thinking of alternate locations if worse comes to worse. 

So Much Angst It's Incredible

So as I gather everything up to film and edit this weekend, I've been going through everything in my head and making sure it is exactly as I want it so when I go to film everything goes smoothly and my film opening results in a piece that I am genuinely proud of. At the beginning of this process once I first shared the commencement of my idea, my teacher recommended a few films for me to watch to give me inspiration, one which she most strongly suggested was an independent coming of age film called Thirteen.


Thirteen is a 2003 film directed by Catherine Hardwicke which originally made it's debut at the prestigious Sunfest film festival. The film is a "semi-autobiographical drama" that follows 13 year old Tracy and her crumbling relationship with her mother as she befriends popular, but troubled, Evie and begins to experiment with a life of sex, drugs, and crime.

Tracey (Evan Rachel Wood) at the beginning of Thirteen versus at toward the end

When I first looked up the film a few weeks ago I didn't really think it would help me plot wise because this film covers a different chapter of adolescence than the one I wanted to portray, but I figured any resources would be worth while and there must have been something I could get out of it. After actually watching the film I did get some idea's for my film visually as far as the degree of rawness I want my shots to be and the aesthetic part of my film. For example, since my film will only feature the opening I don't think I would incorporate this, but I found it interesting that as the film progressed and Tracey and her mother's life became more and more flooded by the evil and danger of teenage depravity, a dark, dim, greenish-blue filter gradually took over the screen.

However my initial concerns were confirmed and I did ultimately decide that I didn't want to take any ideas for my film from the content of this one. Both young protagonist in the story are way younger and in a different part of life than my protagonist, as well as being extremely reckless, rash, and haughty; which is great for the story the film wanted to chronicle but a direct antithesis of the mature, serious, and thoughtful individual that I wanted my main character to be (although my protagonists name was in part inspired by Evie, if you hadn't already picked up on the one) but as I was looking over my script I thought that it did seem too preachy and monologue-y which was exactly one of the obstacles that I wanted to avoid in writing my voice over. It wasn't even that it didn't seem like Eevie's thoughts but it was just it seemed TOO much like her thoughts and nothing more. I knew who I wanted Eevie to be and the situation she was in but that situation did not come across clearly. Eevie's character was there but the plot and story wasn't, so again, I made some revisions and did, to my surprise, draw from all the angst, rebelliousness, and confusion from Thirteen.

I kept all of my voiceover the same, but rather than just ending my opening with the narration the way it started, I added some dialogue that eludes to Eevie not only contemplating her current life and possible future, but because of these thoughts, letting go in school and becoming a bit careless and negligent in her studies which had been very important to her her entire life. In adding this dialogue however, I didn't want to directly introduce a new character. One, because I didn't want to draw away from Evie and two, because I just dont think it would make sense in the context. SO, i drew from ANOTHER film from my research (Buried) and decided to make the dialogue a conversation over the phone where the second party is only heard, but not seen. I hope that this makes sense to you for now and that I've done a good job of explaining myself and my thought process... but if not I am excited for you all to see the final product soon!

Digital image. StyleCaster. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

Mitchell, Elvis. "Thirteen (2002) Film Review." New York Times. N.p., 20 Aug. 2003. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

Thirteen promotional poster. Digital image. Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.

Schedule and Some Changes

Again, I can't help but remind myself that we are now almost finishing up the third week of the project. What seemed like such a long time is now quickly coming to it's close, and as I am finishing up all that needs to be done before I begin filming I have made a schedule for myself that I will strictly follow. If I work diligently enough, hopefully I will even have some time left over to work on any aspect of the project that needs extra help and just finish everything and make it perfect.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
				3/24 Continue writing the script	3/25 Finish writing script	3/26 Finalize script and storyboard. Review and add finishing touches
3/27 Gather materials and make sure everything is set to start filming	3/28 Film and editing	3/29 Film and editing	3/30 Film and editing	3/31 Film and editing	4/1 Film and editing	4/2 Film and editing
4/3 Finish editing	4/4 Begin creative critical reflection. Draft out answers and create a script for what is going to be said	4/5 Continue work on creative critical reflection through director commentary	4/6 Continue work on creative critical reflection through director commentary	4/7 Continue work on creative critical reflection through director commentary	4/8 Hopefully finish creative and critical reflection and have two days left to embellish blog posts or anything that needs added attention	4/9 Embellish, finishing touches
4/10 PROJECT DUE!!!

Also I'm making a change to my film. It's not a major one to the premise of the story but it is one that is relevant and will affect the shooting process. So originally, as you know, I wanted to have my character (who by the way I have now names Evie Davis, pronounced like "Eve-E") shooting darts at black, paint filled balloons set up on a blank canvas. This was, actually, the idea that started it all. I had this great shot in my mind where at the end of my film opening, Evie would shoot a dart at her first balloon and color would burst onto the white canvas signifying Evie breaking boundaries and making her mark in the world. However, the more I think about it, I think that this is not something that would read well because the idea was to shoot Evie in the middle of creating art, however if the end of my opening is her only beginning her creative project, it might be difficult to portray that she is making art rather than just trying out some artsy project she found on pinterest. I thought about ways I could get around this like through her clothing or adding shot of paints or her materials on the ground, but ultimately, I decided to eliminate the balloon idea. Instead I know see Evie with a sketch book through the forest taking time off, drawing, and working on her craft. I think this is more realistic anyway and will give Evie a more serious and professional feel (serious and professional about art and creation I mean.) So yeah, this will call for a few changes to shots in my story board but for the overall script and narrative, it won't change too much, because I mean I am still keeping Evie as an artisitc and free character, it is not just a different medium of art. 

More Script Writing

We are now well into week 3 of the project and it's time to start creating. I've started the story board to my film opening and although there are still final changes that need to be made to it, I am happy because this means I can actually began writing the script for the voice over. I was a little nervous choosing to go the voice over route since many consider it to be difficult to execute well and many just consider it to be straight up "an overused gimmick" or a cover up for "lazy writing," but I was very set in wanting to do a voice over from my characters perspective because I feel that that will give an intimate look on her life and give her a very established voice. As Mark Hughes, a film reviewer for Forbes says, "a person's inner monologue as they consider their life and perceptions, and how our memory and ideas and emotions are so filled with layer upon layer of subtext" is what voice overs are all about and that layering of perception and subtext in a personality is exactly what I want to portray. But anyway, good writing may be very important for the voice over, but at the end of the day I couldn't let myself forget that film is a visual medium. This means that no matter how great the writing for the voice over may be, it must pair up to what is being shown on screen for it to be effective, powerful, and to make sense. The voice  over should never fall behind the action occurring visually, and the action should never have to drag to comply with the narration, so this is why creating my story board with a quintessential step in starting my script. 

Another thing I thought I should consider as I start writing the script for my film opening is that since I am only using one actor, it will be a bit different than typical openings that use different character's and dialogue between them to establish relationships and vital information, "it is through dialogue that we tend to get to know characters and grasp plots." I don't think the lack of dialogue will be that big of a deal since I am choosing to do a voice over but I thought it was worth some thought and research on how to make my one person film opening "interesting," and if I were to make a full film, how I would go about it if I chose to only have my protagonist and few other characters. 

The 2013 film Gravity, for example, does not start off as a one person film, but soon turns into one as Sandra Bullock is left alone in space and must find a way to get back home safely. Because of the setting of this film, it utilizes stunning visuals, movement, and action to get around the fact that most of the dialogue being hear is Bullock talking to herself and coaching herself through the film, although this is also a vital part of the movie. 

The 2010 film Buried staring Ryan Reynolds follows, for 94 minutes, a truck driver who has been kidnapped and buried in a wooden box under the sands of the Iraqi desert. The film is what some call "the most claustrophobic film ever shot." In the box however, Reynolds' character has a blackberry phone he uses to communicate with others outside of the crate. Through this phone audiences are given dialogue and interaction. Although they can only ever see Reynolds and no one else, they still hear conversation and use this to build the story. It is interesting because such a different concept for a movie could have so easily failed. Shooting a man in such an enclosed space with only a cellphone must not have been easy, but director Rodrigo Cortes stated that he was "told it would bring some oxygen to the audience if we were to show the surface or to cut out to the other side of the [phone] line. Or if we showed the other characters … There was talk of doing flashbacks. All of this, I thought, was the perfect way to spoil everything and ruin the film." So despite all the speculation Cortes chose to go with his gut and his artistic vision and in the end made a ground breaking film. 

The 2010 film 127 Hours does star other actors as minor characters throughout the film, but for the most part it is James Franco's time to shine. Director Danny Boyle even warned the audience at the premier, "If you don't like James Franco you should just leave now." James Franco is a great talent so obviously he carries the film on his own merits, but when a movie's protagonist is stuck with his arm between a boulder, there is only so much that can be done. So as one way to get around this, and also to stay true to the actual event that prompted this movie, 127 Hours utilized video diaries to continue the plot and film. The scene above does feature other outside elements like laughter and applause but that is because this scene is sort of a breakdown scene so it is not supposed to be entirely realistic, it is where Franco's character's mind was at the time.   

Buried 201 Clip (Ryan Reynolds) Paul Calls His Mom. YouTube. N.p., 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

"Going Solo: Movies With (Mostly) Just One Actor." IFC. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Gravity Scene Tiangong. YouTube. N.p., 22 Feb. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Hughes, Mark. "What Are Examples of Narrative Films That Successfully Utilize Voice-over Narration? Why Is Voice-over Narration so Tricky for Filmmakers/screenwriters?" Quora. N.p., 16 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

"'Locke,' 'Gravity' and More One-actor Wonders." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

127 Hours (key Scene 6). YouTube. N.p., 6 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Quiet on Set

It has dawned on me that while I have had my film idea in mind for quite some time now, I have never explicitly stated it in my blog. From what I have shared, you all know that I want my film to focus on one singular adolescent character as she is finding her place in the world and undergoing societal pressures to pick a safe path that will most likely guarantee a safe future, even if that is not the future she wants. Although I do not have all the details of my protagonist planned out (don't you worry, that's to come!) I do know that I want my film to focus mostly on her and my film opening to solely feature her, since the plot of my film is more about self reflection and self discovery rather than about relationships or bonds that are formed. The opening of my film will feature a voice over while my protagonist is creating art in a forest.

Yes, another decision made! I know my location. My inspiration for a forest scene came because I began thinking of environments that would seem very personal and private. I thought about just having the setting be in her room, but as a late high school student, complete privacy in her home seems unlikely. I thought about filming in an art studio, supposing she rented the space, but thinking piratically, there is no where I know where that would be a plausible filming location. And then I thought about the film Mean Creek. I have mentioned it before in this blog, it is also an independent coming of age film, and although it's themes are a bit darker than mine it has many similarities in the audience the films target and who they focus on. Mean Creek is about a group of kids that take misunderstood bully George on a boat trip in which they plan to prank and humiliate him, however, in a twisted turn of events (SPOILER ALERT!!!) they end up killing George instead. The majority of Mean Creek was filmed on the Lewis River in Southwest Washington.

It is a beautiful location which is isolated and totally private and when matched with the plot of Mean Creek where no one would ever know of the crime that took place there, the location also becomes painstakingly haunting and eerie. For my film however, a secluded wooded location was appealing for a number of separate reasons. One: I think it is very artistic which matches the personality of my protagonist. How original and unconventional is it to go create art in the woods as opposed to simply a studio? Two: With a location like this it allows my film opening to be personal and very intimate. However, the woods not only shows isolation from others but also isolation from society and the modern world which is something my character is struggling with and attempting to fight. Three: thinking realistically, I know the perfect location where I could actually go and film where my idea could be nicely executed. It is a nature park not 10 minutes from my home, Totally accessible and totally waiting for me to film in it, it just seemed perfect.

"Filming Locations." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Mean Creek scene. Digital image. Filmfortress,com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Mean Creek scene. Digital image. Mubi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.